(L) Aku No Hana (Flowers of Evil)

[Goty]

Originally Posted by Cytrus

Since Kasuga's chances not to look like a horrible pervert in Saeki's eyes are already gone (I don't know how though, as it's usually obvious when somebody is pushed onto you, rather than jumping on you of his own will, Saeki should just be mad at Nakamura)

The problem is that instead of an accident, Saeki could see it as if that was what Kasuga wanted to do all along when he "called" her, and Nakamura just gave him a push (figuratively and literally). What is actually not very far from the truth..

[maximilianjenus]

having half the budget actually was wonderful in this episode, no faces while far away, decently defiend faces in close ups it shows some consistency; still could not help but laugh at this still could not help but laugh at this , he runs so [expletive] fast he teleports , but otherwise, it was great , but otherwise(homura's brother breaking te suspense), it was great.

that's how economic rotoscoping is supossed to be made, abuse those close ups so you get 0.5 fps

[sa547]

Damn, has anyone watched any of those slightly art-house/live-action Japanese films about individuals on the fringes of society? About deviants? Or driven to self-destruction? Seems that having this kind of experience is a requisite in order to appreciate this show.

In a typical harem show, the MC's spinelessness is played for laughs. This one... Sure, Takao's spineless but this goes beneath the skin: the breathing pattern, the heart rate, eye movement and facial expression. Does this constitute as "show, not tell", which is regarded as a yardstick for storytelling quality?



The fan rage still seethes on.

[maximilianjenus]

Originally Posted by sa547

Damn, has anyone watched any of those slightly art-house/live-action Japanese films about individuals on the fringes of society? About deviants? Or driven to self-destruction? Seems that having this kind of experience is a requisite in order to appreciate this show.

not necesary, a lot of seien manga have those elements, the very easy to rememebr example is fap note, it's not exclusive to aku no hana; though I had a hard time thinking about an anime that is like that, so anime wise this is pretty fresh.

[Reckoner]

This episode was a complete and utter joke. I wasn't sure if I watching Aku no Hana or the looney toons when Kasuga was running away and started teleporting.

The voice acting and pacing is making this show really hard to watch.

...

[jeroz]

Can someone who read the manga confirm for me if this girl appears in there as well?

[NoemiChan]

Originally Posted by jeroz

Can someone who read the manga confirm for me if this girl appears in there as well?

The question is... this based on a real person? like the MCs?

[maximilianjenus]

That guy has got the best hairdo I have ever seen, I just noticed the other girl is scared of him.
What do you call that hairdo, pig tail mullet ?

[jeroz]

Hey, just because she has a manly face and manly sideburns doesn't make her a man.

Did you hear her speaking? She has a wonderful voice

[NoemiChan]

Originally Posted by jeroz

Did you hear her speaking? She has a wonderful voice

That doesn't make it less confusing....

[Utsuro no Hako]

Originally Posted by kuromitsu

>frubam

Wait, you think there were no sexual overtones in him taking her buruma? Even if we disregard the whole buruma fetish thing (not necessarily applicable to Kasuga), PE clothes/buruma are highly sexually "charged" clothing items. This is almost the equivalent of taking her bra. (We even see him staring at her in those clothes, later imagining her in them, etc. Don't tell me those were innocent thoughts... )

Again, I'm not saying Kasuga is a pervert. He's just an awkward teenage boy and he has Awkward Teenage Issues (including what you wrote about "soiling" Saeki), and he did something he shouldn't have done. But that doesn't mean taking her clothes (never mind perving over them later) is not, in fact, creepy, and Kasuga is well aware of that.

The issue is that Kasuga didn't steal the clothes because he wanted to take them home and do dirty things to them -- he took them in a panic because he heard Nakamura outside and was afraid somebody would see what he was doing. His moment of sin was when he gave into temptation and looked into the bag; once he got them home, they became like the telltale heart reminding him of his weakness.

Originally Posted by sa547

Damn, has anyone watched any of those slightly art-house/live-action Japanese films about individuals on the fringes of society? About deviants? Or driven to self-destruction? Seems that having this kind of experience is a requisite in order to appreciate this show.

No, but I've read the books -- Hitomi Kanehara's Snakes and Earrings, Yoko Ogawa's Hotel Iris (it's like a twisted version of Hanasaku Iroha!) and Ami Sakurai's Innocent World. Great stuff.

[creb]

Originally Posted by Utsuro no Hako

The issue is that Kasuga didn't steal the clothes because he wanted to take them home and do dirty things to them -- he took them in a panic because he heard Nakamura outside and was afraid somebody would see what he was doing. His moment of sin was when he gave into temptation and looked into the bag; once he got them home, they became like the telltale heart reminding him of his weakness.

I'm not sure what's creepier. Our protagonist, or some of the people in this thread. I say that in the most loving way possible.

[jeroz]

Originally Posted by Kasuga

I'm the worst

*proceed to sniff the uniform even more*

YEAAAAAAAAAAh, I wonder whyyyyy?????

Seriously though, I just don't see any possible connection with the MC. It's actually more fun to be a bystander and enjoy this "bad comedy with third rated soap drama" with a glass of wine.
"This is such a joy" - Kotomine 2013

[sa547]

Originally Posted by Utsuro no Hako

No, but I've read the books -- Hitomi Kanehara's Snakes and Earrings, Yoko Ogawa's Hotel Iris (it's like a twisted version of Hanasaku Iroha!) and Ami Sakurai's Innocent World. Great stuff.

I see. Just a couple of weeks ago I was able to watch The Drudgery Train, which is basically the rise and fall of a hardscrabble young man on the fringe of society (seems that there is indeed no shortage of such works domestically).

[revive4563]

I've not read the manga but I prefer this so far.
I want to be annoyed by out-there girl like Nakamura-san like that.
Maybe I am masochist.

[Conan-san]

Originally Posted by sa547

The fan rage still seethes on.

And rightfully so, this is DmC levels of awful misuse of source material.

There's a story to be told and, with some consideration and a little goddamned effort, it could have been told well even in this style.

But instead we get what is clearly a dood in a wig with pigtails plastered on images boards with messages to the effect of "Seriously, guys?" and thus any point is lost.

[Solace]

Originally Posted by jeroz

Can someone who read the manga confirm for me if this girl appears in there as well?

I can't unsee this:

[Triple_R]

Originally Posted by jeroz

Can someone who read the manga confirm for me if this girl appears in there as well?

Those sideburns would make Elvis himself blush. To see them on a girl...


2nd Episode looked pretty good to me. Less of the cost-cutting measures of the first episode.

And whether it's intentional or unintentional, I honestly found most of this 2nd episode hilarious. It came across to me as a very effective parody of ecchi comedy in harem anime and numerous light novel adaptations.

The art-style is definitely crucial here. If this had a "normal" or generic anime art-style, I'd probably just take it as yet another ecchi comedy-driven show (rather than as a show parodying it). But by having it in this highly realistic rotoscope-style, it comes across as much more creepy, and hence humorous in its over-the-topness.

[Dop]

Two episodes in and a plot has broken out, and by the end of episode two I was left thinking that not only could this be my best show of the season, it may well end up being my best show of the year, because of what it is and what it does.

What it is, is the anti-anime. It pisses on the walls of convention and spits in the face of its audience like it was a late-70s punk band.

What it does, at least what it's done in this second episode, is take an event - the 'face-plant in cleavage' event used so often in anime, and shown it as the loathesome and degrading act WHICH IT IS. You can practically feel Saeki's fear and loathing.

What it also does is leave me with a lasting impression and I'm probably going to watch it again today and then again tomorrow after the legit version comes out.

I can barely wait for the next episode.

[jeroz]

Originally Posted by Dop

What it does, at least what it's done in this second episode, is take an event - the 'face-plant in cleavage' event used so often in anime, and shown it as the loathesome and degrading act WHICH IT IS. You can practically feel Saeki's fear and loathing.

However when he closes his eyes to sniff one more time I burst out laughing again. Not even your usual ecchi harem comedy MCs have the balls to do that, this guy is something special. It's brilliant comedy here.